Manatee-Southeast football rivalry tops in state

The Manatee-Southeast football game was voted as the top rivalry in Florida, according to a fan poll conducted by USA Today.

The Hurricanes-Seminoles game received 1,255 votes compared to 207 for Naples-Naples Lely and 114 for Pahokee-Belle Glade Glades Central.

Regional voting runs from Dec. 5 to 12 with a national vote to follow Dec. 13 to 19.

The winning rivalry will earn $10,000.00 to be divided between the two schools.

Here is what was written about the history of the rivalry:

When these two schools face off, it is a small town environment compared with a lot of the nationally known rivalries. This cross-town rivalry usually determines who will be the dominant program in the area. This game has been part of a military-sponsored series in the past. It is the largest game in the state in the month of September, and clears the way for the winner to be seen as a state favorite for the remainder of the season.